Talk:Environment-planks-GOP2008
The 2008 Platform Committee received public input through a website. Ultimately more than 13,000 comments were received and considered. The following is a sampling of those comments: (George - Raleigh, NC) Global climate is important and human effects must be considered. Our temperature is determined by a balance between solar energy absorption and energy re radiation. Nearly all of the Earth's land area is somehow modified by human activities changing it's absorption and re radiation properties. We could choose the colors of our roofs, paving, and plants to help compensate for the decline in solar energy which is beginning. The present obsession with a belief in significant man made CO2 warming which is unsupported by measured data has overshadowed the really important climate control decisions we should making. Our climate research needs to be much broader in scope to identify and rank by importance all human effects on climate and if possible determine optimum temperature and CO2 levels. In the present absence of convincing human CO2 warming evidence, laws to suppress CO2 emissions establish submission to an unscientific belief and are thus a violation of the First Amendment. (Cole - Kentwood, MI) I think that we should focus on innovation and efficiency. Rather than giving cash rebates to people who are likely to spend them inconsistently, perhaps we could look into a national investment. For example, we might create public jobs by having new technology installed in people's homes. For the amount the government dished out in rebates that will not sustain economic growth, we could have installed energy efficient light bulbs in every home in America. That would reduce the overall electricity consumption of our country drastically, therefore lowering our demand for oil. I feel these kind of solutions benefit everyone. (David - Wesley Chapel, FL) Cap and Trade - It is important that the platform not include support for a Cap and Trade system for carbon dioxide as the approach to deal with global warming. This approach is flawed as it risks immense damage to the U.S. economy in return for little or no improvement in greenhouse gas emissions. The platform should place emphasis on government support via research and development of those technological breakthroughs needed to significantly advance the cost competitiveness of alternative (non-fossil fuel) forms of energy. Continued support for improved wind, solar, nuclear, and clean coal technology is the best way to address climate change related to greenhouse gas emissions. It is the approach that will increase, rather than decrease, jobs in America and strength of our economy. (Rabbi David - Gilbert, AZ) While simultaneously working with private industry to develop the new energy technologies for the future, with the goal being that America becomes completely energy independent within the next 15 years. We want our elected leaders in Washington to focus on increasing the energy supplies of the United States and lowering the costs of gasoline and electricity. (71 to 18) The Department of Energy reports that 20% of America's electricity can come from wind. Today's wind turbines stand up to 410f feet tall, with blades that stretch 148 feet in length. The blades collect the wind's kinetic energy. In one year, a 3-megawatt wind turbine produces as much energy as 12,000 barrels of imported oil. Wind power currently accounts for 48 billion kWh of electricity a year in the United States — enough to serve more than 4.5 million households. That is still only about 1% of current demand, but the potential of wind is much greater. (Jeremy - Escondido, CA) Americans are, by far, the most wasteful people on the planet. While I do NOT agree that we are causing global warming, we could do more to conserve our resources, regardless of whether we will ever exhaust them. There is something to be said for restraint and stewardship. There is no reason to put something to waste just because we can. Cars are a fine example. Most people buy cars with an eye towards replacing them before their loans are ever even paid off. Carmakers build cars to last less than 10 years, understanding that people want to replace their cars anyways. How about building products that last again? (Reid - Bethesda, MD) Greater investment in clean energy technologies and energy efficiency should be one of the key elements of an economic revitalization program for the Nation. We need to strengthen the electric power grid for greater reliability and resilience. Moving to plug-in hybrids would reduce the cost of gas. Energy efficiency investments would put the housing sector back to work. All of these would help address global warming. We need to act before it gets any worse.